dry brining a turkey breast

RRP · November 2010

I definitely plan to try this dry brine recipe with one of the turkey breasts I picked up on the cheap recently. Right now it's too close to T-Day so I won't be trying it before, but will later. In the meantime this article might be of interest to some of you as it interested me.
http://www.latimes.com/theguide/holiday-guide/food/la-fo-calcook18-2009nov18,0,4954438.story?page=1

fishlessman · November 2010

i always tell people to look for the kosher empire birds, i like the frozen empire birds better than the fresh supermarket birds. i wonder when they salt it it may pick up some flavor as a dry brine

Hoss · November 2010

Interesting....worst that can happen is to screw up a $5 turkey,some salt and a few herbs!!! :laugh:

I'll give it a try.Ya never know if ya don't try it!

RRP · November 2010

I agree - I've been a fan of brining my birds for several years so in my way of thinking I'm already a "briner convert" as opposed to others here who don't believe in brining. The line that really caught my attention was that comment about the meat still being just as moist. Seeing that I usually do a 3 to 4 day wet brine in an ice cooled water cooler monitored with a cabled thermometer this refrigerated dry brine appeals to me.

Hoss · November 2010

I must concur.Seems like a lot less trouble!

BigDaddy - OCT · November 2010

This is another area where I'm a novice but since my family doesn't like dark meat will this technique work well on just a bone-in breast or even a breast by itself?

I bought a "fried" turkey breast from Sams and sliced it up on the slicer for sandwich meat today and it is awesome so I'm hoping to to something similar.

I put fried in quotes because the fine print says it was baked and then briefly fried for the texture. My wife had just asked me about frying a turkey this year and this was cheeper than buying the peanut oil...lol.

Bruce

BigDaddy - OCT · November 2010

Oh, another question...I've become a big fan of hawaiian sea salts so can I fresh grind an appropriate amount of this to use instead of kosher salt?

Bruce

jeffinsgf · November 2010

If you can afford it. :woohoo:

Use the fancy salts for top-dressing. Use good old Morton's Kosher for brines. While Pinks and Seas do have a different taste, I think it would be lost (and wasted) in a brine.

jeffinsgf · November 2010

Bruce,

I just did a large breast a couple weeks ago. Brined using the recipe from Ruhlman's "Charcuterie" and roasted in the Egg at 350 indirect. It was marvelous. Brining, whether dry or wet, works just as well with a breast as it does with a whole bird.

But, Ruhlman says never more than 24 hours in the brine...even for a large bird. I've also found that a good rinse and a rest period almost equal to the brine period greatly improve results.

BigDaddy - OCT · November 2010

Thanks Jeff, I appreciate the insight!

Bruce

Boilermaker Ben · November 2010

Did it last year, Ron. It was good.

Here's a thread from just before Thanksgiving last year.
http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=767192&catid=1

The Naked Whiz · November 2010

I did a side-by-side last Thanksgiving with dry brine, wet brine, and no brine breasts. The dry brine was definitely my least favorite of the three:

Brining Turkey Breasts

Fidel · November 2010

I've done it three years in a row now.

It works and it is terrific. Better than any wet brine I've ever done.

dry brining a turkey breast

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